U.S. Under-23 Men's National Team
Head Coach: Caleb Porter
The spotlight will shine brightly on the U.S. Under-23 Men’s National Team in 2012 as the quadrennial chance to challenge for Olympic gold hits center stage and the U.S. seeks to reach its 14th Olympic Football Tournament when London hosts the games this summer.
The pool continues to grow deeper and more experienced with each passing cycle as U.S. players establish their professional careers at earlier ages and the net is cast wider in search of the best talent available to represent the United States.
With the eyes of fans, media, scouts and sponsors firmly focused on the two-week tournament, qualifying and competing in the Olympics is a huge and historic opportunity.
SQUAD BUILDING
Leading the U-23 Men’s National Team is Caleb Porter, the head coach of the University of Akron who won the 2010 NCAA College Cup after reaching the final the previous year.
Porter identified nearly 50 prospects for the squad that has a range of experience for both club and country. Playing professionally both domestically and abroad, there are several players getting regular time with the full National Team, former members of U.S. U-20 and U-17 World Cup teams, and young pros making important contributions to their club teams.
The group went under the microscope for the first time in November of 2011 with a camp held in Duisburg, Germany, and then again the following month in Lakewood Ranch, Fla., where the coaching staff narrowed the prospects for the 20-man qualifying roster and beyond.
The first three months of 2012 provide a great opportunity for team building in the lead up to the qualifying tournament. Since the matches do not fall on FIFA international fixture dates, player availability is one of the big pieces of the puzzle that Porter and his staff have to manage.
THE ROAD TO LONDON
The United States hosts the CONCACAF Men’s Olympic Qualifying Tournament from March 22-April 2 in three venues across the United States. Group A plays matches at LP Field in Nashville, while Group B competes at The Home Depot Center in Carson, Calif. LIVESTRONG Sporting Park hosts the crucial knockout phase, as the top two teams in the tournament earn the right to represent the region in London.
The U.S. U-23s was drawn into Group A along with Cuba, Canada and Grenada. The USA and Cuba drew 1-1 in their only previous meeting in Olympic Qualifying, the opening match of the 2008 event. The U.S. and Canada have faced each other in qualifying for five previous Olympics, including the last three straight tournaments. Overall, the U.S. holds a 4-2-1 advantage in Olympic qualifiers, including a 3-0 win at LP Field in the semifinal in 2008 that sent the United States to the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. El Salvador last ran up against the U.S. in 1987, and is still in search of their first victory in five tries.
Should the U.S. advance, they will be one of 16 teams in the hunt for a medal. Olympic rules dictate an 18-man squad, with the ability to use three overage players on the roster. In the past, World Cup veterans like Jeff Agoos, Brad Friedel, Frankie Hejduk and Brian McBride have served in this role. The games in London run from July 25-Aug. 11 in 10 venues, including some of the most iconic stadiums in world soccer like Old Trafford, Millennium Stadium and Wembley, site of the final.
